News and insights

Omnia Strategy Promotes and Expands.

13th December 2021

Omnia Strategy LLP, the firm founded by Cherie Blair CBE, QC, has announced that Ana Paula Montans and Solomon Ebere have been promoted to Of Counsel with effect from 1 November 2021.

Ms Montans joined Omnia Strategy as a senior associate in 2018 after working for eight years at the international arbitration boutique Derains & Gharavi in Paris.

She regularly advises clients in complex, high-stakes disputes in a wide range of sectors, including telecommunications, mining, energy, corporate and international sales/services and distribution agreements. She also sits as an arbitrator. Ms Montans, who is qualified both in Brazil and Paris, has been involved, as counsel, arbitrator and secretary to arbitral tribunals, in numerous arbitration proceedings conducted under all major sets of rules (including ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, SCC, DIAC, DIS, CBMA and AMCHAM-Brazil). She has been assistant editor of the Revista Brasileira de Arbitragem since 2009.

Ms Montans is currently advising both States and private entities in a number of investment and commercial arbitrations. Recent cases include representing Albania in an UNCITRAL arbitration against an Italian investor in relation to a dispute in the agribusiness sector, and an African company in a dispute related to the performance of a power purchase agreement. Ms Montans has been recognised by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader in Arbitration since 2019, which describes her as “a brilliant, sharp and responsible counsel” who “is doing a great job as arbitrator in complex cases”. Ms Montans told GAR that “it has been a real pleasure and privilege to work with so many talented colleagues at Omnia and under the leadership of Cherie Blair, who is such an inspiring woman. I am grateful for the trust placed in me by the partners. Being promoted to Of Counsel while on maternity leave makes it even more special and is a testament to the firm’s values, of which I am proud to be part. I am looking forward to the adventure ahead”.

 

Solomon Ebere, a French-Nigerian-US national, is a New York attorney and French avocat whose practice encompasses advising on international dispute resolution, private diplomacy and general commercial matters. He is also the Director of Communications at the Africa Arbitration Academy, an award-winning initiative designed to provide specialist training to Africa-based young practitioners.

Mr Ebere has worked in London, New York, Paris and Geneva at leading international arbitration practices, representing clients under most major arbitral rules with a particular focus on emerging markets.

His recent experience includes acting for sovereign States and private clients in multiple investor-state and commercial arbitrations across sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, including successfully representing The Gambia in three parallel ICSID arbitrations in a dispute over licensing oil blocks and acting for Ukrainian investors in an ICSID arbitration against North Macedonia concerning concession agreements in the mining sector.

When asked about his promotion, Mr Ebere stated that “sharpening my legal skills and learning the art of problem-solving at Omnia has been an absolute privilege and pleasure. I am particularly thankful to Cherie Blair and James Palmer for their mentoring, patience and providing me with an opportunity to grow as a practitioner. The cherry on the top is to have been promoted together with my friend Ana Paula”.

 

In addition to the internal promotions, Omnia Strategy has strengthened its practice by hiring two associates, Mr Roberto Lupini and Ms Paula Patrón.

Mr Lupini joins Omnia after having spent approximately six years as an associate at the public international law firm Volterra Fietta. He advises private entities and sovereign States on contentious and non-contentious public international law and international dispute resolution issues. Among other things, Mr Lupini has advised and represented States in five proceedings before the International Court of Justice and has been involved in over a dozen investment treaty arbitrations under the ICSID and UNCITRAL rules. He has also represented companies in commercial arbitration proceedings.

Ms Patrón has over nine years of experience working in dispute resolution. She specialises in international arbitration and public international law with a focus on Latin American disputes. Ms Patrón has experience on disputes involving corporate clients and sovereign States under the major arbitral rules and in a wide range of industries and sectors, including infrastructure, energy and natural resources. Before joining Omnia Strategy, Ms Patrón worked at a multi-jurisdictional South American law firm, a major US law firm in Paris and a leading law firm in London specialised in international arbitration.

Cherie Blair CBE, QC noted:

“As we reflect on ten years of success, our continued expansion and latest promotions are testament to Omnia’s strengths, particularly in the areas of international dispute resolution and public international law. Just as importantly, the vibrancy and growth of our team reflect the collegiality and special working environment that we put at the forefront of everything we do”.

 

Contact Omnia Strategy LLP: [email protected]

A full pdf of the press release can be found here: Omnia Promotes and Expands